12 Days of a Pioneer Christmas: Michelle Ule

Michelle Ule is the best-selling author of several novels and novellas, including Bridging Two Hearts and “The Dogtrot Christmas” from the New York Times best-selling A Log Cabin Christmas Collection.

Here, she talked with co-writer Kathleen Fuller about her  novella “A Gold Rush Christmas” from A Pioneer Christmas Collection, released in 2013.

What made you write about your period in time?

When I heard the collection’s title, I tried to think of a time period that would appeal to readers. I figured many writers would write about the Oregon Trail.

I remembered, though, how fascinated I was by the Alaskan gold rush stories when my family traveled to Alaska. In particular, I thought of that horrific photo of the line of men climbing over Chilkoot Pass.

Imagine a story about a family caught in that line, stepping out on December 25 to celebrate Christmas. “The Gold Rush Christmas” didn’t quite turn out that way!

How is Christmas celebrated in Michelle’s family and what effect did it have on writing this story?

We’ve celebrated Christmas in a number of different cultures. We liked to use aspects of the local customs when we lived in different spots–Christmas in Hawaii, for example, included a crèche made of a coconut shell.

While composing “The Gold Rush Christmas,” I tried to find an element of Alaskan culture people would recognize, but which could tell the Christmas story. I found a fantastic one!

What research did you do to authenticate Christmas celebrations in your story?

“The Gold Rush Christmas” includes a Christmas totem pole. I explored the Internet for information, and discovered a missionary in Alaska had actually made one!

We corresponded and he asked me to use his description because he’d spent years ensuring it was culturally accurate.

When you dreamed up your story idea, what came first, the time period, the story, the location?

The Alaska location.

What was the “germ” of your story idea and how did you flesh it out?

I wanted to write about the gold rush and I liked the idea of a pair of boy-girl twins. I laughed to think of the boy next door sailing to Alaska and accidentally ending up on a ship filled with gold seekers.

But, I had to come up with a reason why they’d be sailing, and turned it into a quest for a missing missionary father.

Would you like to have been there?

No. The conditions were awful, the con men were terrible and many people suffered. 

Have you been to the locations in which your story is set?

Yes, my family sailed on the Alaskan ferry to Skagway out of Washington in 1991. We even slept on deck in our sleeping bags! I pulled on our experiences and the stories we enjoyed while traveling there.

What surprised you the most about your story?

The wonderful surprising story of how God worked in the prostitutes of Skagway! I incorporated it into my tale.

Would you have made a good pioneer?

While I have spent a lot of time camping, I’m a coward. I don’t sleep well on the ground and I don’t like to be dirty. So, no. 🙂

What spiritual themes did you incorporate into your story? Which ones did you discover later?

I love the story of the prophet Nehemiah and the famous line “I am doing a good work and I cannot come down.” I liked the idea of someone going off on an adventure and sacrificing for their family, but being determined to stay in that work even when things became difficult.

In writing the story, I learned much about the fortitude of a young man wanting to prove himself, even when he discovered his own prejudices.

I love how even a seminary graduate needed to be reminded, gently, that he sometimes needed to be discomforted to do the job God called him to do. Best of all was finding the spiritual growth going on in “The Gold Rush Christmas.”

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For more information about Michelle and her books, visit her website: www.michelleule.com. You can view additional photos about the Alaskan gold rush on her Pinterest page.